Gurus and higher education
 

http://untetheredsoul.com/michael-singer

Why is it that spiritual gurus or teachers, popular-oprah-verified-gurus - if you will - or #1-bestseller-gurus, more often then not have background in higher education? I have not checked all our gurus here in the west, but I see this often enough to suspect many of them have, and I start to wonder.

Adyashanti was a cyclist though.

Good and valid question...but I don't know the answer...think the answer matters

But in general, I have come to understand that a certain quality and quantity of intelligence is required to deal with and continue on the spiritual path, education doesn't necessarily have to do anything with it, or may be education triggers off that particular kind of intelligence into use due to requiring it to use it for education itself...

However, popular Oprah verified gurus and its link with best sellers and education might have different reasons...for there would be a lot more best sellers if it were just for education and/or intelligence

Everyone is a guru, you can learn something that you didn't know from each person you meet. Wisdom is everywhere, life is the guru.

Possibly because the higher education either makes them more articulate or refines their voice if they have this quality latent already.

It's now thought that Jesus was brought up among the Essenes, which would support your hypothesis.

Quality education can result in a more precise thought process.

That greatly helps in understanding abstract concepts and correct application in practice.

Well, another factor/link between education and 'best seller' aspect of gurus, could be the individuals skills to understand an experience, write an experience in a manner which could be generalised for every life applicability, yet individualise the same applicability to reader - all in an easy to follow and helpful to a third person manner...education is not necessarily necessary for this either, but if education requires for the skill to be learnt, then it might help application of the skill to other aspects of ones learning/ability etc.

Doesn't explain the rest if the variables relationship with each other though, not fully yet

Several years ago I met an awakened man literally living in a cave on a mountain side and had been for some years. He was far from educated however and was certainly more of a 'salt of the earth' type. He is no less awakened than any guru we've heard about, however he will not be known or his wisdom published because he will won't speak about it unless one is willing to climb the mountain to speak with him and he has no interest to write about what he knows and if he did it would require extreme dedication by an editor if not a team of editors due to his lack of education, manner of speaking, strange metaphors and possibly stunted remedial education. His offerings are no less valid or profound though than those who are published.

So perhaps there are many like him, that we'll never know about and think therefore that education has something to do with likelihood of conscious awakening?

Gurus are only gurus because people have decided they are, and as such become the 'celebrities' of Spirituality. They have this vision (dare I say stereotype?) of what a 'Spiritual person' is supposed to be like and they want to emulate their gurus in the same way as other want to emulate their superheroes or movie stars. In many ways Spirituality has become a process of the mind as they think objectively, use reason and logic to discern 'the truth' and formulate their beliefs. Having a background in higher education helps people formulate and articulate but there's one thing that's missing from all of that - Spirit doesn't think. It's not about knowledge either, considering Spirit has access to the collective consciousness, Akashic Records et al why would we, as Spirit, come here to gain knowledge that is already known?

If you look at why people are considered as gurus then what you'll probably find is an indicator into Spirituality and mindsets, as this is. And your own. If you consider someone as a guru then ask the next question, what is it in their words that resonates with you, why do you consider them as a guru? That's probably more telling than any wisdom in any book.

higher education
 

Higher education does not matter greatly if a teacher is truly awake in a spiritual way. It is helpful though because its part of understanding others who have been through the system.

Higher education helps in properly articulating the spiritual process and complex concepts in a simple manner so that it is easily understandable and at the same time intelligent. The Guru works in this regard and strives to connect with the common man and instruct him well.

The Buddha for example, taught in Pali , which was the language of the common masses in those times, instead of sanskrit which was a complex language spoken by the elite.

Just because one is enlightened does not mean that one will be effective in teaching others properly, especially those who have a complex intellectual temperament. There is a difference between one who is enlightened and one who is an enlightened master.


An uneducated,simple person can attain enlightenment no doubt, and perhaps more easily than the educated one.

However his ability to articulate concepts and spiritual teachings on a large scale can be limited.

He can be very effective with disciples who have faith in his presence and enjoy his company.

Ramana Maharshi was one such as well, who rarely spoke, but instructed and spiritually evolved his disciples by his presence and vibes.